The invention relates generally to welding systems and, more particularly, to a weld electrical and gas connector with sealed gas flow.
Welding is a process that has become increasingly ubiquitous in various industries and applications. While such processes may be automated in certain contexts, a large number of applications continue to exist for manual welding operations. Such welding operations rely on a variety of types of equipment to ensure the supply of welding consumables (e.g., wire feed, shielding gas, etc.) is provided to the weld in an appropriate amount at the desired time. For example, metal inert gas (MIG) welding typically relies on a wire feeder to ensure a proper wire feed reaches a welding torch, as well as gas-channeling tubes or cables for routing shielding gas to the torch during the time a welding arc is created between the wire and a workpiece.
Welding power sources used in such applications are designed to provide power for welding, while wire feeders are used to deliver welding wire to a welding torch. Shielding gas may be provided to the power supply, and therefrom to the wire feeder, where a weld cable routes the wire, gas, and power to the torch. Cables connect welding power sources to wire feeders and wire feeders to welding torches. Other welding equipment is also connected using cables. Some welding systems utilize cable bundles to capture the quantity of cables that may be used to connect welding equipment. For example, a welding system may include up to three separate cables for connecting between any two welding devices, a cable for each of power, gas, and data. As such, certain cable assemblies may be constructed to transport welding power and shielding gas in a single cable. Unfortunately, such cable assemblies may include a large number of components and may be complicated to construct. Accordingly, there exists a need for welding cable assemblies that overcome such disadvantages.